Did you know that three-quarters of motorists buy used cars? If you’re thinking about shopping for a used car, you’ve probably heard the term ‘car supermarket’. Actual or online (or both!), outlets like ourselves are now considered the best and easiest places to shop when you’re looking for the right car, at the right price. But what differentiates us from your traditional, every-day dealership? To tell you everything you need to know, here’s cartime’s handy go-to guide on what really makes a car supermarket.
What Is a Car Supermarket?
Call us what you will - car supermarket, hypermarket or auto superstore, the choice is yours. Car supermarkets are multi-make car dealers, who are large, independently-owned and non-franchised.
Nowadays, every clued-up consumer knows how best to shop around for the expensive motoring essentials, such as fuel, car insurance and the routine service. So why stop there? If you’re buying a car, sticking to the tired, old motor trade tradition could be leaving you out of pocket. It’s highly unlikely that the nearest franchised car dealer just so happens to have the right car for you – or, let’s face it, at the lowest possible price. Did you know that for three out of five motorists, price is the top shopping criteria when choosing a used car? And for 47% of all buyers, finding the right car at the right price is the most influential factor when choosing a used-car dealer to purchase from.
Why Shop At a Car Supermarket?
1. Choice
The key advantage of shopping at a car supermarket is the huge range of options you’ll see at the showroom. To qualify as a supermarket operator, retailers must show no allegiance to any particular make or model. That’s why if you have a very limited idea of the type of car you’re after, or if you only know the brand or model, a car supermarket is a great place to start.
You can see lots of different options, side-by-side for easy comparison. After you’ve whittled it down, you’re able to take different cars for test drives to really help you get a feel for your choice. At cartime, we always have our knowledgeable advisors on hand, to give you any advice should you need it.
2. Price
The other key advantage is price. Because we buy cars in bulk and at auction, a car supermarket can offer substantial discounts on manufacturer list price.
Despite the lower costs, we offer pretty much everything the franchised dealer offers – vehicles with proper and appropriate specifications, part exchanges, great finance deals, 3 year warranties on all cars and much more. In fact, up until now there’s only been one ‘downside’ to shopping at a car supermarket – and that’s been the limited aftersales services.
Why cartime?
This is where we come in. At cartime, we set out to offer people a new way to buy a used car, and this includes unrivalled aftercare. We give you the opportunity to point out anything you think we’ve missed when your car has been through its 62-point check, and you’ve even got 30 days to bring your car back to us if it’s not 100% how you want it. We even offer a lifetime warranty on some makes and models – something which is almost unheard of in the used-car retail industry.
It doesn’t stop there. Our finance deals also rival that of a regular, franchised dealer – and we even offer 0% finance on a huge range of prestige makes and models, including Audi, BMW and many more.
If you’re thinking of buying a used-car, opt for the new way to buy one. Head on down to our car supermarket showroom or start browsing our cars online today - not only are you more likely to find your perfect car, it’ll be at the perfect price too.